Meals of the Mundo: Cola de Toro

On July 7, 2014 by Oren and Cassie

Since we began traveling the world, we have eaten a bewildering array of foods and consumed an eclectic list of drinks. Some of these we have written about. Others we have masticated or imbibed privately. Now we say NO MORE. Introducing our new weekly series: Meals of the Mundo.

Every Monday, we’ll bring you a different food or drink from around the world that we’ve tried. When we can, we’ll include the recipe so you can mull it over for a week and try making it if you’d like. But do you really want the recipe for duck tongue? Didn’t think so. We’ll include a picture, what it tastes like, and where you can get some when you travel.

Our first Meal of the Mudno is cola de toro – the tail of the bull. This part of the cow is a speciality of Sevilla, and many restaurants will offer it on their menu. It comes bone-in, so you can quite clearly see the cross-section of the tail that you’re eating.

Cassie’s aversion to beef meant I was on my own for cola de toro, which is fine. I was on my own for duck tongue too (which will be an upcoming Meal of the Mundo). Cola de toro is quite good, reminding me a lot of my mother’s goulash. It’s prepared in a thick stew, and even a small portion is very filling. The meat itself is very tender, and it’s obvious from one bite that it’s cooked for a long time over low heat to make it so tender. Cola de toro is often served with french fries, which soak up the extra sauce from the stew perfectly.

In doing a few internet searches, I see it’s also called rabo de toro, and it can be bull tail or ox tail. Either one is authentic. It’s apparently quite popular to eat cola de toro after a bullfight, since I suppose that’s quite symbolic. Torture the animal before you slaughter it, then eat its tail. I’ve already made my thoughts somewhat clear on bullfights. I am a much bigger fan of cola de toro than of bullfights.

Here’s a recipe if you’re like to try it out at home. I haven’t tried this recipe, mostly because I haven’t been home to try this recipe. Give it a shot and let me know what you think!

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[…] warned me that I need to start adding foods that are a little more appetizing. We started with cola de toro, and now we’re eating lengua de pato. I promised I would not make rabbit heat our next Meal […]